A number of HCA Houston Healthcare locations will collect unused or expired opioid painkillers Sept. 21 during an event HCA is calling "Crush the Crisis." The drug take-back day encourages individuals to safely and anonymously dispose of unused or expired prescription pain relievers by visiting one of 12 collection sites in the Greater Houston area in an effort to curb the misuse of these drugs, according to a Sept. 9 release.

"This is a 'no-questions-asked' collection designed to safely capture and dispose of addictive prescription pain medications before they fall into the wrong hands," said Dr. Stephen Nesbit, chief medical officer of HCA Houston Healthcare, in the release. "If you are no longer on a medication, whether or not it has expired, it needs to be removed."

Crush the Crisis collection sites will accept tablets, capsules and patches of hydrocodone, oxycodone, tramadol, codeine, fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone and oxymorphone medications, according to HCA's Crush the Crisis website. Needles, syringes, lancets, inhalers and liquids will not be accepted.

Participating hospitals include:

  1. HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe
    504 Medical Center Blvd., Conroe
    Drop-off location: Near the women's entrance off Medical Center Boulevard.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  2. HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood
    22999 Hwy. 59 N., Kingwood
    Drop-off location: South Tower entrance.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  3. HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland
    6801 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, Texas City
    Drop-off location: near the main entrance turnabout.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  4. HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center
    1313 Hermann Drive, Houston
    Drop-off location: valet entrance on the corner of Hermann Drive and Caroline Street.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  5. HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress
    21214 Hwy. 290, Cypress
    Drop-off location: under orange tents to the left of the main entrance on Hwy. 290.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  6. HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest
    710 FM 1960, Houston
    Drop-off location: the parking lot next to the main hospital building on Cali Drive.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  7. HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland
    11100 Shadow Creek Parkway, Pearland
    Drop-off location: main entrance turnabout.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  8. HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast
    4000 Spencer Hwy., Pasadena
    Drop-off location: main entrance valet.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  9. HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball
    605 Holderrieth Blvd., Tomball
    Drop-off location: drive-thru at the Heart Center entrance on Graham Drive.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  10. HCA Houston Healthcare West
    12141 Richmond Ave., Houston
    Drop-off location: main entrance valet.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  11. Texas Orthopedic Hospital
    7401 S. Main St., Houston
    Drop-off location: main entrance.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

  12. The Woman's Hospital of Texas
    4720 Washington Ave., Ste. A, Houston
    Drop-off location: Woman's Health Group-Heights.
    Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.


For more information on the drug take-back day, visit www.hcahealthcare.com/crushthecrisis.